Automatic safety device.



E. J. LAGLAIR.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 313.17, 1913.

1,133,480. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

WITNESSES.-

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,4 TTORIVEV THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTCLLITHOU WASHINGTON. D. C.

EDMUND JOHN LACLAIR, OF CBANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Eatcntv Patented Mar. 36 1915..

Application filed February 17, 1913. Serial No. 748,988.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND J. LACLAIR, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at Cranston, county of Providence, andState of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically applying brakes torailway trains, and may be particularly identified with devices of thischaracter which are actuated by a trip or detent adjacent the railwaytrack.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means whereby theengineer of a train approaching an open switch will be warned of thedanger, and in the event of his failing to heed such warning, forapplying the brakes on the train automatically.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the charactermentioned, whereby the brakes on the train will be automatically appliedwith greater or less force, and which manner of the application of thebrakes is regulated or controlled by the speed of the train.

With these-objects in view, together with others which will appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, my invention, residesin a brake actuating mechanism located upon a locomotive or car which isadapted to be actuated by a detent located beside the track. The detentis preferably located at a sufficient distance from the switch or otherdanger point to stop the train, before the switch is reached, regardlessof the speed at which the train is traveling. The brake applyingmechanism, located upon the locomotive or car compromises substantiallya trip arm or lever, one end of which is adapted to project beyond thelocomotive or car to be contacted by the detent beside the track, theother end of the lever being adapted to actuate a valve in the trainline, and means whereby the trip lever will be projected toward the detent on the track, at a distance greater or less as the case may be,relatively to the speed of the train.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improvedapparatus for applying the brakes, the same being shown in connectionwith the wheels and truck of a locomotive, and, Fig. 2 is a sectiontaken upon. the line y y of Fig. 1.

1n the practical application of a device of the character underconsideration, my idea includes the provision of a track detent of anypreferred construction, and operated in any approved manner. In orderthat the device may be of practical value in preventing an oncomingtrain from entering an open switch, the danger signals for which haveescaped the eyes of the engineer or motorman, the detent may be locatedat such a distance in advance of the switch that the brake actuatingmechanism upon the locomotive may be actuated by the detent to apply thebrakes in order that the train or car may be brought to a standstill onthe safe side of the switch. In order, also, that the safety of trainstraveling upon a track may be assured, the detent may be connected tothe switch operating mechanism in any suitable way in order that thedetent may be actuated to lie in the path to operate the brake applyingmechanism upon the locomotive immediately upon the opening of theswitch. The mechanism necessary for operating the detent, forming nopart of the present invention, is not illustrated in the drawings, andit is to be understood that any preferred arrangement of this charactermay be employed.

The brake actuating mechanism, which I employ to carry out my invention,is located upon the truck of a locomotive, adjacent the wheels thereof,and comprises generally a laterally extending trip lever 24:, a valve 32in the train line and a connection between said lever 24: and saidvalve, whereby when the lever 24 is contacted by said track detent, saidvalve will be operated to apply the brakes. This lever 24 is preferablypivoted at its medial portion at 25 to the bifur cated end 26 of alongitudinally extending bar 27. This bar is fulcrumed at its oppositeend as at 28, to the truck frame of a locomotive to swing laterallythereof; and to prevent the laterally extending trip lever from assumingany position other than at right angles to the railroad track, a spring29 is interposed between the outer end 30 of the said trip lever and thebar 27, and a guide or abutment 31 is provided adjacent the inner end ofsaid trip lever to prevent rearward movement thereof. By thisarrangement the lever 24 is held in yielding engagement with the guide31. The valve 32 is located in the train lineat a point adjacent theinner end of the trip lever 24, and a link 33 is interposed between thestem 34 of the said valve and the said inner end of the trip lever 24. Ahook portion 24 is formed upon the inner extremity of the trip lever 24to prevent displacement of the link 33. From this arrangement it will beobvious necessary to apply the brakes more suddenly and with greaterforce to stop within a given distance than when traveling at a lowerspeed. To this end I provide means whereby the outer end of the lever 24will be projected a greater or less distance from the side of thelocomotive according to the speed of the train, as it is obvious thatshould the pivot point 25 of the trip lever be moved closer to the pointof contact with the track detent, located adjacent the track, the aredescribed by the inner end of said trip lever in this extended positionwill be of greater degree than in the event of its being further removedtherefrom; and such being the case, the valve stem 34 will be operatedtoa greater degree. For the purpose of extending the said trip lever 24 inthis outward position Iprovide an air tank 35, which is supplied withair by means of the pump 36, the piston 37 of which receives itsreciprocations through an eccentric 38 connected to the axle 39 of thelocomotive. The air tank is reduced at 40lupon its end adjacent the bar27 to form a cylinder, and having therein a piston 41, the piston rod 42of which extends outwardly through the cylinder head 43 and is connectedthrough .the

medium of a link 44 to the bar 27. The wall of the cylinder 40 isprovided with :a series of ports 45, 46, and 47, which are so positionedas to-allow escapement of the air within the air tank 35 when uncoveredby the piston 41. A spring 48 is interposed between thebar 27 and anystationary part ofthe truck or framework, for the purpose of retractingthe bar 27 to its normal positionwhen the pressure within the tank 35has been relieved. Thus it will be seen that wh n the locomotive istraveling, the air tank 35 will be filled with compressed air by meansof the pump 36, and as the speed of the train increases, the pressurewithin the said tank will be increased by reason of the more rapidreciprocations of the pump piston 37. As the pressure within the tankbecomes greater, the piston 45 will obviously be forced outwardly andthus through themedium of thelink 44, and thebar 27, the extremity 30 ofthe trip lever 34 will also be extending outwardly adistance relativelyto the speed of the train. The tension of the spring 48, and thedisposition of the ports 45, 46 and 47, in thewall of the cylinder", issuch as to allow for the escapement of the air from the air tank 35 atcertain rates of speed, andthus maintain the position of the trip lever24 until the speed of the train is either increased or diminished. Whenthe train is at a standstill, and the pressure within the tank has beenrelieved entirely, the bar 27 will be retracted to its normal positionby the spring 48'.

It will be obvious that a device construct failure of the engineer ormotor-man of the oncoming tram or car to observe the slgnals f that mayhave been set for the purposeof warning him, will beavoided,as'upon-contact of the trip lever with the track detent, the brakes.will be instantly applied automatically and the train brought to astandstill. The arrangement of the trip actuatmg mechanism is such thatin the event of a fast moving train, the brakes will be more quickly andeffectually applied than in the event of 'a train moving at slowerrate-of speed.

While I have shown and described in the present instance, my inventionin relation to arailway locomotive, I wish, it tobe understood that themechanismmay be-applie'd to cars or trains which employ eithercompressed air or steam as a means for applymg its brakes. Andalso,while I have shown and described my invention in the simplest and mostconcise form, Ireserve the right to make any minor changes oralterations in the construction. thereof which may fairly fall withinthe scope of my claims.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let tersPatent is 1. An automatic brake actuating mecha nismmounted upon a locomotive and 'comprising [a valve actuating trip leverextendingtransversely of the locomotive to be tripped'by a trackdetent,a bar pivoted at one end to said locomotive and at the other end to saidtrip lever, means for normally holding said trip lever transversely ofsaid locomotive in any of its extended positions, a cylinder, a pistontherein and connected to It is obvious that when the de' said bar,andmeans governed by the speed of the locomotive for supplyingcompressed air to said cylinder, substantially as described.

2. An automatic brake actuating mechanism mounted upon a locomotive andcomprising a valve actuating trip lever extending transversely of thelocomotive to be tripped by a track detent, a bar pivoted at one end tosaid locomotive and at its opposite end to said trip lever, an air tankadjacent said bar, a pump mounted adjacent to and communicating withsaid air tank, an eccentric upon the axle of said locomotive foroperating said pump, a cylinder communicating with said air tank, andprovided with a longitudinally disposed series of ports in the wallthereof, a piston within said .cylinder and connected to said bar, meansupon said bar and said trip lever for holding said trip levertransversely of the locomotive in any of its extended positions, and aspring interposed between said bar and said locomotive to retract saidbar and trip lever when pressure within the tank has been relieved,substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, a bar pivoted at one end to alocomotive and extending longitudinally thereof, means governed by thespeed of the locomotive for moving said bar upon its pivot laterally ofthe locomotive, a brake controlling valve on said locomotive, a leverpivoted upon the free end of said bar, and extending laterally of saidlocomotive, a spring interposed between said lever and said bar forholding the former, laterally disposed irrespective of the movements ofsaid bar, and a connection between said lever and said valve whereby thelatter will be actuated upon movement of the former, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In a device of the class described, a bar pivoted at one end to alocomotive and extending longitudinally thereof, means governed by thespeed of the locomotive for moving said bar upon its pivot laterally ofthe locomotive, means for retracting said bar, a brake controlling valveon said locomotive, a lever pivoted upon the free end of said bar andextending laterally of said locomotive, a spring interposed between saidbar and said lever for holding the latter in transverse position withrespect to the locomotive irrespective of the movements of said bar, anda connection between said lever and said valve whereby the latter willbe actuated upon movement of the former, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND JOHN LACLAIR.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. TRACY, DUNCAN MURCHISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtalned for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. G.

